Mehidy's Five Wickets Give Bangladesh Second Test Edge Over Pakistan
Bangladesh vs Pakistan Second Test - Off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz grabbed five wickets to help Bangladesh skittle Pakistan for 274 on the second day of the second Test in Rawalpindi on Saturday.
Bangladesh vs Pakistan Second Test Scorecard
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The 26-year-old recorded his 10th five-wicket haul in Tests to cap a good day for the tourists, who are looking to win only their third away series.
Bangladesh finished the day on 10-0 despite opener Shadman Islam being dropped by Saud Shakeel off Mir Hamza on the first ball of the innings.
But it was Bangladesh's bowlers who steered them to a strong position.
Mehidy dismissed Pakistan captain Shan Masood for 57 and opener Saim Ayub for 58 after the home team had been well-placed on 99-1 at lunch.
He produced match-turning figures of 4-21 in Bangladesh's 10-wicket win in the first Test a week ago, and snared Khurram Shahzad for 12 and then Mohammad Ali and Abrar Ahmed to end the innings with 5-61.
Mehidy was ably assisted by fast bowler Taskin Ahmed, who took 3-57.
Agha Salman, dropped on nought by Zakir Hasan off Shakib Al Hasan, was Taskin's third wicket after scoring 54 with three boundaries and two sixes.
Taskin said he was happy to be back in the longer format of Test cricket.
"It's a good sporting pitch and we need to bat the full day and get a good lead," Taskin said.
"It's great to be back in red ball (cricket) after one-and-a-half years. I enjoyed that and adapted well."
Salman said the pitch was better than the first Test track and should provide help for the spin bowlers.
"Unlike the first Test, this wicket has lively grass and I believe we have enough runs," he said.
Desperate for a win to level the two-match series, Pakistan started well but lost wickets at regular intervals to slump from a relatively strong 107-1 on a greenish but slow Rawalpindi pitch.
Taskin bowled first Test centurion Saud Shakeel for 16, the left-hander having already survived a dropped catch by Mehidy off Nahid Rana on one.
Babar Azam, Pakistan's best batter, fell leg-before to spinner Shakib Al Hasan for 31, having now gone 15 Test innings without a half-century.
The first day's play on Friday was washed out due to rain but Pakistan shone with solid batting in the first session.
